Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1887-09-19
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THEY ALL DIED,

THEY ALL DIED.
The stone Craven Record of seven
Black Halls Pioneers OF IS33-story
Left by the Last Man.
Spearfish, Dakota, Sept. l5th--Cor.
respondence Minneapolis Journal
Spearfish, is one of the handsome VIII
lagos Of the Black Hills country. It is
pictureequely located and the visitor is
charmed with it's surroundings. Look
out Point, high peak, lies to the east
and looks like q grand sentinel, From
Lookout view can be obtained of Bear
Butte, 70 miles away, Clusters Peak. 100
miles away, Grows Peak, SO miles away,
and the little village of Minnesota q est.
ling in the magnificent valley.
| Lookout was one OF the most famous
Indian rendezvous in the western coun-
| try. Lit is here the war dance was in.
delgs8 in and the country guarded from
the intrusion of white men. Indian
tradition hes it that dozens OF white
men were taken to the top OF this peak,
scalped and murdered. Many trinkets
belonging to the aborigipes are still
found and the bones OF several braves
with blankets, tomshawks and instru-
ments of barbaric warfare unearthed. 1t
ls truly n alestio spot as it gives such
a complete view of all the leading passes
to the gold colorado.
lt was over 30 years ago that Father
De Smet with number OF missionaries
| visited the Black Hills country and dis
| covered gold. Traces of their path have
been found by the hopeful prospector
whose little earthwork is always in
! sight. That they passed over or near
Lookout there is no question:, as un.
mlstakable tracks have been found and
established BY Indians. A huge tree
\ was felled few miles from here and in
the very top Was found imbedded log
chain. The tree had grown completely
around ii and Is now on exhibition.
| The theory advanced is q good and
reasonable one. Father De Smet and
party are supposed to have camped at
this point aud the chain was hung on a
sapling and forgotten. The tree grew
| and when the chain was discovered by
white men the tree had attained its
mammoth proportions and carried the
relic OF DE Snet's camp with it. From
time to time relics of former occupancy
OF the Hills maly years ago by the
whites are beinjt found s.ss miners--a
primitive sluice box here, q pick and
shovel there. On abandoned shaft, ell
bU,:su beneath the accumulated drift OF
/ iyesrs-mute evidences of hardy pioneers,
who, leaving the homes OF loved ones in
search OF gold, were never heard from
more. To the Indians the Big Fills, as
they termed them, were Mecca, and
they might il they wished lift the gloom
from many sed heart whose loved one
fell at their hands.
A message from the past was unearth-
ed few Gay ago by Louis Thone, o
Swede quarryman, who resides at the
foot OF Lookout, and your correspondent
had o photograph made which is inciosed
with this correspondence. The gentle
man was excevating number of large
rocks from gulch and pried up huge
| hattstone. Itrested against giant oak
land the deep imprint on the tree proved
that years and years had rolled by and
no living thing had disturbed its locsli-
4 BY, With three or four blasts he removed
the stone and found upderneath smooth
piece OF limestone about two feet square
i Ii was covered with moss and sediment
and must have bsen eight fest under
ground. Mr.. Thone carelessly threw the
rock on the bank and in the morning.
upon returning to his work, noticed that
it was scratched on one side. He tried
to decipher the hieroglyphios. but was
unable to do so. An application OF soar
and water, With the assistance of mag.
nifyIng glass, brought forth the follow.
ing inscription:
!: "Got all of the gold We could carry Our:
i :ponys all got by the Indians. i have Lost: !:
my gun and nothirg to eat and Indians:
.huntsng wall" !:
1 Upon further inspection the reverse
side bore this inscription:
/ Game to these hills in 1888, seven of us:
:nnDe Lacsmpte, Ezra Kind. g: W, Wood T. !:
Brown, =. Kent. VIM. King, Indian Grow. !:
IAN ded but me, Ezra Kind. Killed by In !:
:dians beyond @ the high bill. Got our gold: /:
i The appearance Of the stone leaves o.
shadow OF doubt Of It's genuineness. /
is also known that seven men we're killet
by Indians IN the year 1884. They cam
from the west, accompanied by Gro,
!, Indian as guide, the members OF tha
tribe having always been friendly to th
whites. An examination Of the Chey
: enne agency records shows that hal
breed named DeLaoompte resides q
ii Wichotepee and draws rations. II
supposed that the DeLacompte, and on
Of the seven, was his father, and on m,
return trip across the Sioux reservation
shall visit the gentleman, who ia no'
: an old man, and endeavor to throw som
: light on this message from the past. /
I will be see that Ezra Kind was the las
3 man to die. Thespot where he left th
!, short but touching tale OF their suffer
!. ings wes an excellent hiding place, fe,
: hundred feet from the top of Lookou
9 He could easily watch the movements {
4 the red skins but being left without gu
t and pony he was compelled to ventul
Q out into Che open valley and thus fall
prey 10 the savages. who killed withol
= mercy any white man who dared to yer
9 tnre IN this, their ideal and much coyei
ed land.
= Prehaps this little sketch may reac
>, the eye Of some friend OF these seven ri
& fortnnates and thus remove the mystel
|. that hes enshrounded their aeyentur,
tome trip into the Black Hills, Fig.
" -
it'll AGood Investment
Z is that which yields large returns from
:, small outlay. Reader, the way Ia clea
:. No speculation, no chance, big return
~ II You are like most OF mankind ,,
n have eomewheren weakness don Z Il